CRYSTAL - ota

[galvanising]

FORM: Crystal
SENDER: Nell Voss
RECIPIENT: All
WHAT: Hello, Inquisition. Nell is here to stir up your mage business. :]
WHEN: Forward-dated slightly to post-Llomerryn adventures
WHERE: Kirkwall
NOTES: n/a

Inquisition, hello.

[ It's a friendly-enough voice, sort of husky without being unusually low, the common tongue spoken with the generic pronunciation favored by Circle tutors and just a hint of a muddled accent that's difficult to place beyond Northern. ]

My name is Nell, and I've only recently joined your ranks here in Kirkwall. I'd heard that the Inquisition's mages governed themselves through some sort of council, but I've yet to see hide or hair of it here. Was that only a rumor? I've heard quite a lot of rumors about the Inquisition's mages, it's not always easy to pick out the truth.

I suppose my real question is what is the status of mages here, exactly? And Templars, since I've see some about already? I'm eager to help the Inquisition in its fight, but I do like to know what I'm getting myself into.

Comments

[exequy]

Mmm. Mmhm.

[ She is so important to him, really.

But moving on to the subject of her many new friends: ]

I wish someone had told me that sitting out the war was an option.

[ Someone probably did, at some point, when he was complaining, and he stayed anyway. But whatever. ]

[galvanising]

I distinctly recall saying "you don't have to come if you're going to be like that about it" at least three times. I didn't mean it, but that's beside the point.

But it sounds like you'll have plenty of friends here if you want to abandon me and turn Loyalist again. I haven't found a single real rebel yet except for Anders.

[exequy]

—no, [ Kostos says, quietly enough to be talked over, while she is still talking, ] I'm sure I'd remember that—

[ He does. He's joking. He doesn't sound like he's joking, but he's joking. ]

—and I've always been a Loyalist.

[ Thanks. ]

You and the man who blew up a Chantry. [ A thoughtful pause. ] Sounds promising.

[galvanising]

Right, right, silly me. How could I forget?

[ He can probably imagine precisely the way she is rolling her eyes, since they've only had this exchange a few thousand times. ]

Think of it this way: standing next to him I look positively moderate. Perhaps that's been the problem here, all the would-be rebels have hung back because they don't want to be seen taking up with Anders. I can offer them a more palatable option.

[exequy]

As long as none of them get to know you.

[galvanising]

You're hilarious.

But given how strong the Loyalist presence is here, if I'm to accomplish anything I'll need to be able to pass as somewhat more moderate, or at least as a less committed member of the rebel army. I'd appreciate it if you'd avoid contradicting that image.

[exequy]

Really? What's that worth to you?

[ He isn't serious. He will never actually tell her that he has her back against the rest of the world—usually, for the most part, when she isn't being completely insane, and as long as no one actually shows up offering him his perfect Circle with perfect Templars and she stands in the way—

Those events aside, he does have her back. It's the best place to stand to be able to make exasperated faces without her knowledge. ]

Because I owe a dwarf five sovereigns and a pair of lambskin gloves.